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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23151250">Gift of Luxury</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNovelArtist/pseuds/TheNovelArtist'>TheNovelArtist</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Confession, F/M, Fluff, LadyNoir - Freeform, That's it, aged-up, and sweetness, and tender moments between these two overworked superheroes, just fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:01:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,692</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23151250</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNovelArtist/pseuds/TheNovelArtist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What a luxury it would be to be gifted with his lady's affections.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>THEME: Gifts</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gift of Luxury</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrien was used to luxury. Born into it, raised to live by its standards. Standards so strict that he grew tired of it soon enough. He never much cared for it, that gift of luxury.</p><p>Until he met Ladybug.</p><p>Items and money had no meaning to him anymore. They’d been tossed around so frivolously and dumped before him unceremoniously so often that it didn’t faze him. But the luxury of getting to show just one act of romance towards the woman who had captured his heart?</p><p>All the items and money in the world couldn’t be exchanged for a gift that priceless.</p><p>He pushed his luck as often as he could. He covered his flirting with a light enough tone to make it seem like he was teasing, and he clung to Ladybug every time she did come close, whether it was to hold his hand or to give him a much-cherished hug. Oh, how his heart would sing at those.</p><p>Too bad Ladybug never took that act as anything beyond a token of friendship.</p><p>Years went by, and Adrien was amazed by how so much could change in the time it took to graduate high school. For one, he’d separated from his father, leaving behind that life of luxury he’d grown so used to. Despite gaining sizable inheritance when he turned eighteen, he never wanted to go back to empty luxury like that. There was just one luxury he still craved more than anything…</p><p>He glanced over at the superheroine by his side. She didn’t know he was staring; he hoped she didn’t find out. Let him steal this moment if she still refused to gift him with the one thing he so desired.</p><p>Not that he could be mad at her. She had every right to keep the gift of her affections hidden away until she found the right man to bestow them upon.</p><p>And what a lucky guy that man would be.</p><p>With a sigh, Chat Noir leaned back on his hands, lounging on the rooftop they were on while waiting for the new year’s fireworks to start. Ladybug had agreed to watch with him, her friends all busy with their loved ones and her family having gone to bed early tonight. He was thankful for every moment that he got to spend with her. Any time they spent together was a gift in its own right, and he knew better than to undervalue the importance of spending time with a person, even if it was in silence. He knew full well how quickly a loved one could disappear.</p><p>“Ladybug,” he began, just to make conversation. “Do you have any new year’s resolutions?”</p><p>She hummed in thought. “Survive school.”</p><p>“Ooh! That’s a good one,” he teased, smile on his face.</p><p>“<em>Stap</em>,” she whined, playfully pushing his shoulder. “Um… other than that, work on portfolio pieces for once I graduate.”</p><p>His brow furrowed in confusion. “You just started university.”</p><p>“Never too early to prepare for when you graduate. Especially when your free time is scarce and sporadic thanks to being a superhero.”</p><p>“Fair enough,” he relented. “Anything else?”</p><p>Her pretty lips pursed. The strong urge to kiss those lips had not waned throughout the years. But he hadn’t been gifted the right to kiss them, as tragic as it was. “Not really,” she eventually answered. “Maybe… maybe gather my courage to ask out the guy I like.”</p><p>His heart positively plummeted. “Oh yeah?”</p><p>“Yeah,” she said. “But I don’t know how he’ll take it.”</p><p>He scoffed. “If he takes it any way other than well, he doesn’t deserve you.”</p><p>She chuckled, then leaned closer to him. “What about you, Chat Noir?” she asked, her quiet voice taking on a sugary sweet tone. “Will your new year’s resolution be giving me up?”</p><p>“You’re not taken yet, bugaboo,” he replied with a grin. “Game’s not over until I’ve lost.”</p><p>She smiled at that. “Silly kitty. I can’t believe you’ve had a crush on me this long.”</p><p>“Um, that’s insulting to you?”</p><p>She quirked a brow. “How so?”</p><p>“It means that you think you’re not absolutely amazing enough to capture and hold my heart for longer than a teenaged crush. I mean… you kinda blossomed into a stunning woman, bugaboo. Give yourself a little more credit here.”</p><p>Her jaw was slack for a moment before she giggled. “Smooth as ever, kitty.”</p><p>“I’m not smooth if I’m just quoting the truth.”</p><p>“And that’s <em>totally</em> one of the smoothest pick-up lines ever.”</p><p>“It’s not meant to be a pick-up line.”</p><p>“Sure, it isn’t,” she snipped sarcastically. “I <em>totally</em> believe that.”</p><p>“You should,” he said, grin on his face. “I mean, I hope you’ve looked in the mirror lately and thought ‘wow, I’m one hot badass’.”</p><p>“Totally have.”</p><p>Her bluntness caught Chat off-guard for a second, but when her words sank in, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Good. I’m glad.”</p><p>They fell into a comfortable silence once again.  </p><p>“Chat?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>Her lip was between her teeth, proving her nervousness. <em>Odd</em>, he thought, wondering just what was scrolling through his lady’s head. “Do you have any hopes for the new year?” she asked. “Anything you wish would happen? Not necessarily a resolution, but… anything you want to happen this year?”</p><p><em>I want to put a ring on your hand, in my wildest dreams. In the realm of attainable, I’d settle for calling you ‘mine.’ </em>He smiled. “Sure, I do,” he said.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Oh, you know,” he dismissed, reaching up at the stars that he’d never be able to grab no matter how hard he reached. “Hoping for things that are likely unattainable. Hoping for things out of my control to happen.”</p><p>“That’s not vague,” Ladybug grumbled.</p><p>He chuckled at her adorable pout. “It’s meant to be.” He looked over. “I’ve told you them before. And you’ve already told me your stance. I respect that.”</p><p>Her mouth formed into a little ‘oh’ shape.</p><p>He forced a smile for her, hoping it didn’t show just how much pain he was in. “It’s okay. I know the risks of keeping my hopes up like this. And I’ll deal with the pain if your amazing guy says yes, though I’m selfishly hoping he doesn’t and you come falling for me instead.”</p><p>Her gaze fell to the rooftop they sat on, and a guilty frown pulled at her lips.</p><p>“Ah, my lady,” he cooed, resisting the urge to reach out and cradle her cheek. “A frown doesn’t suit you.”</p><p>She turned her tender gaze back on him. “Oh, kitty.”</p><p>Those words were all that was needed to remind him all over again of just how far of a goner he was. His heart drummed in his chest, but it also was tight with pain. <em>I want you</em>, he thought. <em>I </em>love<em> you. Would you let me be yours?</em></p><p>“Hypothetically speaking,” she continued, voice but a whisper, “What would you do… if we were in a relationship.”</p><p>He quirked his brow. “What do you mean? Like, I would scream from the rooftops in joy—”</p><p>“No, not like… well, not <em>exactly</em> like that,” she said. “I guess… I mean to say what would you expect out of a relationship with me. Why do you want a relationship with me? What would you do if we were in a relationship?”</p><p>“Well, one of those is easy,” he said. “You’re the most amazing woman in the world; who wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with you?”</p><p>She scoffed, smirking. “I mean, duh, I know that, but…” She grew somber again. “Like, <em>why</em> me? And… why so long?”</p><p>Chat looked back up at the stars glimmering in the night as he thought. “Well,” he slowly started. “At first, I think even you could probably guess that my crush of you was pretty hardcore puppy love.”</p><p>“That’s obvious,” she mumbled. “You were so over the top in everything. Some of your gestures felt too extravagant to be genuine.”</p><p>He chuckled bitterly. “Yeah, I was young and stupid. Not my finest moment,” he muttered.</p><p>“So what changed?”</p><p>“Me,” he admitted, his gut twisting uncomfortably. “I grew up. I got a cold dose of reality. I can’t go into details; not because I don’t want to but for identities’ sake. And through it all, you were always there by my side. I was reminded all over again that you were my partner, my equal. We always faced down all problems as a team. And we complement each other so well. You’re intelligent; I’m impulsive. You hold me back; I push you forward. But by doing that, we end up hitting the same stride, side by side.”</p><p>He looked over at Ladybug again, watching as the stars he was looking at before reflected in her wide eyes.</p><p>“And you balanced me when I needed it the most,” he continued. “No one, not even my best friend outside the suit, could accomplish what you did. And the funny thing is… I don’t even think you know what you did for me. Sometimes, it wasn’t anything direct. You were there. You were always the person who listened to me and gave me advice when you possibly could. Or you would know when to be quiet and start up a game of tag throughout the city. You just… you know me.  I like having someone that knows me so well. And beyond that, I’ve learned that above all, I can trust you with everything. You always have my back. You fight for me. I like having someone I know I can trust unconditionally and who trusts me unconditionally back. You actually <em>believe</em> in me. You support me. Sometimes, I feel like I’m the one who needs you more than you need me—”</p><p>“Don’t even—”</p><p>“And then you always interrupt me just like that,” he continued with a smirk. “Feisty bug.”</p><p>She sighed, settling down, though Chat could still see the little furrow mark in her brow.</p><p>Actually, it was probably less that he could see it and more that he knew her well enough to know it was there.</p><p>He reached out, gently smoothing it away. His cheeks warmed at the action, and he was thankful the night covered it.</p><p>“But those are the things I love about you, bugaboo,” he whispered. “I love who you are. I love having someone who I know I work well with. Who I can trust with all sides of me. I want to be in a relationship, one that’s steady, stable, and permanent. Marriage is choosing to spend the rest of your life with someone, right? And you can’t just face life with a ‘love will get us by’ mentality. You actually have to <em>work</em> with someone in a relationship. I <em>know</em> how I work with you. And I <em>like</em> how I work with you. It’s stable and safe and secure. We’re not in a romantic relationship, but I believe in our hypothetical relationship already.”</p><p>The shock had yet to fade from Ladybug’s expression. Her eyes were still wide and sparkling with the night sky.</p><p>Chat smiled, his heart fluttering at the adorable sight before him. “I still love you, bug,” he said. “And I love you in more ways than romantically. I love who you are as a woman. I love who you are as a superhero. I love you as my partner. I love you as my friend. And… if you’d let me, bug, I would love to love you as a lover.”</p><p>Ladybug was silent for a good moment. “You practiced that last line,” she said, her voice weak with surprise.</p><p>He opened his mouth to deny it—</p><p>“<em>Kitty?”</em></p><p>—and shut it. “Yeah,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve totally had that line on the backburner.”</p><p>“Knew it.”</p><p>“Doesn’t mean I mean it any less.”</p><p>“Yeah,” she sighed, sweet smile still on her face. “I knew that, too.”</p><p>He gave her a bright grin. He loved the way she just <em>knew</em> him. Like no one else in this world. “Are you sure you still don’t want me, my lady?” he teased. “People say I’m quite a catch, you know.”</p><p>“Sure, I’ll take you.”</p><p>His heart leapt into his throat, heat rushing to his face. He choked, covering it quickly with a cough. “Don’t say things like that, bug,” he warned, glaring at her. “I might take them seriously.”</p><p>She shifted, scooting over so their shoulders were brushing.</p><p>His breath caught in his throat.</p><p>With a coy smirk, she leaned her chin on his shoulder. “Why don’t you?” she whispered.</p><p>His smile was gone and his gut tangled in knots as he tried to catch his breath again. “Bug,” he said, voice rough as he fought to speak. “Don’t toy with my heart—”</p><p>“When have I ever?” she quietly countered.</p><p>“Never,” he answered, his mouth growing dry. “Wh-which is why…” He lost his train of thought. He just… couldn’t process this. “The… the guy… the one… you wanted to confess…”</p><p>Her hand found its way over his heart, and though she no longer needed to verbally answer, she did anyway. “It’s you.”</p><p>His brow furrowed in confusion, yet he still reached up to rest his hand over hers, keeping it there against his chest, unwilling to let it go.</p><p> “It took me a while to sort out my feelings, Chat,” she admitted. “To process what I wanted, to think about what I had and what I thought I wanted and… it was a lot.” She took a breath, and her gaze fell away. “We both grew up so much, and I had to face a lot of realities. Like becoming an adult and having adult responsibilities, or about realizing that I’ll soon have a job to commit to more than I had to commit to school. About balancing that with being a miraculous holder and the guardian, about what my future looks like.”</p><p>She sighed, then turned her gaze back up at him. “And I’ve had to think over my schoolgirl love.”</p><p>He blinked, his heart aching with that painful reminder, yet hope still blossomed in his chest. It caused a torturous twist of emotion, happy and sad mixing in with the painful memories of just how difficult growing up was with such weighty responsibilities. All in all, he barely felt like he could breathe. “And?”</p><p>“And I realized… I still have a soft spot for him, and I likely always will. But… he wasn’t the only one who held my heart. Even if I didn’t realize it.” She gave him a sweet smile that could have sent him flying. “And I think you’ve been protecting my heart for a lot longer than I realize, Chat. It was hard, trying to sort that out, until I actually thought over my future. About marriage and settling down and just… what all that looked like. I thought about relationships with each of you, to be honest. What it would look like to settle down with Adri—a civilian!” She quickly corrected. “And bringing all my drama as a superhero into that relationship. Would it be unfair stress on him? Would that be a strain on our relationship for me to have to leave him to go battle akumas, potentially in the middle of date nights or events he may have to go to? Granted, he would be a stability for our family, if we had one. He could watch future kids while I ran off to protect the city. But again… what kind of strain would that cause? The being Ladybug definitely strained the relationship with my parents, and it put a lot of stress on me. And what if… what if I had to hide this from him in the first place? Would he even accept me as a potential partner if I constantly had to flake out because of akumas all while not knowing I was saving the city?”</p><p>Honestly, those kind of things had never crossed Chat’s mind. But when she mentioned them… they made sense.  “You’ve really thought this through.”</p><p>She nodded solemnly. “It wasn’t easy.”</p><p>“I can tell,” he assured, reaching up to cradle her cheek. “You look on the verge of tears.”</p><p>That was all the prompting she needed to let loose a tear of her own. One Chat was quick to wipe away. “It’s a lot,” she said on a sigh. “The miraculous bears a weight you just can’t explain to anyone.”</p><p>“I understand,” he assured. “I feel the same.”</p><p>She sniffed, rubbing circles with her thumb on his chest. “I know. Which is why I thought of you,” she continued. “You know me. You understand the weight we bear. You’ve been by my side through all of this and know a side of me that I have to hide from everyone else in the world. You have no idea how much of a relief you are to me.</p><p>“So, I couldn’t help but wonder… what a relationship with you would look like. And I think that there would still be strain because we’re both supers and we both get stressed by it, but we’ve already faced that, and we know how to come back together and cope with it. I know what a relationship with you is like already. We’re partners and best friends, and we know each other like the back of our hands. Having someone I can lean on to help me carry this burden… that’s always been a source of comfort. Knowing that I wouldn’t have to explain why I’m covered in bruises or bandages after a fight… knowing that you’d understand and be just as angry as I am if date night or events got interrupted… that already takes so much stress off my shoulders, knowing I’m not just being a burden because I’m a superhero.”</p><p>By now, tears were filling her eyes. Chat couldn’t just stay idle to his lady’s distress and took her up in his arms.</p><p>She came close to him without a fight, snuggling up against his chest as he tugged her into his lap. “I’m not saying that a relationship with you would be easy,” she continued. “I know it wouldn’t. We’d face plenty of challenges, but at least we’d face them together. And yes, I still am worried about if knowing each other identities is a good thing or not, but you <em>know</em> me. You’ve seen every side of me. I feel <em>safe</em> with you in more ways than one. And like you said, we are partners; we already know how to work together. Something tells me that would translate well into being marriage partners, too.</p><p>“And so, in the end… I’ve come to realize that I really… I really want the security only you can offer me.” She pushed away just enough to look him in the eyes. Her tear-filled eyes glimmered in the moonlight, tugging at every one of Chat’s heartstrings. “Or am I asking too much of you?”</p><p>“No,” he instantly assured, already swiping the tear trails off his lady’s cheeks. “No, not at all, bug. Not at all.”</p><p>“I don’t want you to think that I’m just settling for you—”</p><p>“Shhh.” He placed a finger on her lips, quieting her. “I know you,” he assured. “And I know you wouldn’t be confessing if your heart wasn’t in it. It’s okay, my lady. I know.”</p><p>With a sigh or relief, she relaxed back against his chest, making herself at home there in his lap, her head snuggled right under his chin.</p><p>She fit so perfectly there he never wanted to let her go.</p><p>“Does this mean we’re dating now?” she asked.</p><p>“Oh, bug,” he cooed, squeezing her tight. “We’re whatever you want us to be. I’ll gladly take as much as you give.”</p><p>She hummed happily. “Dating.”</p><p>“Yes. Perfect.”</p><p>She giggled. “Someone’s excited.”</p><p>“Well, usually gifts are reserved for Christmas, but this gift is the best one I’ve gotten this year—no… lifetime.”</p><p>“What kind of gift are you even talking about?”</p><p>“The gift of your heart. And what a luxurious gift it is. I feel so spoiled beyond compare.”</p><p>She snorted in amusement. “Has anyone ever told you how dramatic you are?”</p><p>“Maybe once or twice.”</p><p>“Only once or twice?” she playfully challenged.</p><p>He let out a chuckle. “Or three… or four…”</p><p>“Or maybe a lot more?” she teased</p><p>“Maybe,” he playfully returned.</p><p>She giggled again, sound going straight through to him to warm his heart. “Silly kitty.”</p><p>“<em>Your</em> silly kitty, now.”</p><p>“I’ll take it.”</p><p>
  <em>Bang!</em>
</p><p>The fireworks in the sky signaled the new year, lighting up the night with glowing reds and dazzling yellows and brilliant blues.</p><p>“Well, there goes my new year’s resolution,” Ladybug said.</p><p>“Then you’ll just have to find a new one,” he said. “Like spending a year making up lost time with your now boyfriend.”</p><p>“Lost time?” she questioned, playfully quirking an eyebrow at him.</p><p>“Obviously. I’ve been in love with you for five years. You better believe I’m going to make up for all that lost time between us.”</p><p>With a smile on her face, she slowly shook her head. “Oh, kitty,” she sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”</p><p>“Is it too much to ask for a New Year’s kiss?”</p><p>She hesitated. “Ummm…”</p><p>Seeing her struggle, he gave her the easy out and tapped his cheek. “Right here?”</p><p>At his gesture, she seemed to relax in his arms. “I think I can manage that one.”</p><p>She leaned forward, cradling his jaw and pressing a sweet yet lingering kiss to his cheek, one that sent the warm fuzzies skittering through him. He would have loved an actual kiss, but he would take whatever affection she found fit to bestow upon him. After all, they would all be from his lady, and the luxury of being loved by her was a priceless gift.</p><p>“And what a new year this is shaping up to be already,” he said, leaning forward to return her gift by pressing a kiss into his lady’s forehead. “Happy new year, my lady.”</p><p>She looked at him bashfully, but her smile was full of sweet adoration. “Happy new year… my love.”</p>
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